Relationship of Mental and Motor Development in Down's Syndrome Infants

Abstract

A study examining the relationship of mental and motor development among a group of young Down's syndrome infants was conducted in an effort to replicate an earlier study with a similar group of slightly older Down's syndrome infants. Like those in the previous study, the younger Down's syndrome infants in the present study tended to show greater delays in motor development than in mental development, as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Additionally, a marked decline in the rate of development achievement was shown when the developmental quotients of the older and younger groups of infants were compared. The implications of these finding for developmental physical and occupational therapists are briefly discussed.